The Opinionated Tailor

The Opinionated Tailor is a glimpse into the colorful world of Krista West, ecclesiastical tailor, priest's wife, and mother. In her podcasts, she discusses any and all matters pertaining to Orthodox church vesture, parish life, motherhood, and faith.

Beauty In The Church

Kh. Krista explores the various reasons that beauty is important in the Church.

09-28
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How Vestments Are Made

In this podcast, Kh. Krista explains step-by-step how vestments are made, from the very first phone call to the finished garments.

03-13
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Can Beauty Save the World?

Krista explores the topic of missions and evangelism through the lens of the ancient beauty of the Church and her living room.

02-13
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Origins of Orthodox Christian Textile Aesthetics

Ever wonder why stuff looks different in the Orthodox Church? Krista helps us imagine being Roman in the late antique period and learning how textile usage then influences aesthetics in the Church today.

08-29
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What's Your Praxis?

Krista muses on faith with works and creating our praxis, or the practice of our faith.

12-07
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Church Beauty Basics

Want to bring more beauty to your church, but don't know where to begin? Listen is as Krista shares some easy tips and ideas for making and keeping your church beautiful.

10-17
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Beauty in the Church

Krista West recently wrote an article about Beauty in the Church for a priest whose church was starting a building program and they wanted to raise awareness about beauty in the Church.

05-22
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Marian's House

Have you ever felt incomplete or unfinished? Krista shares what moving to an old home has taught her about bringing life to completion in Christ.

12-27
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From Concept to Completion - The Tailor's Workshop

Today, Kh. Krista lets us in on her planning and final completion of her new workshop where ecclesiastical vestments are made.

12-21
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Why Everything You Thought You Knew about Color is Wrong

Kh. Krista discusses the use of color in vestments.

12-21
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The Education of an Ecclesiastical Tailor

Kh. Krista walks us through her journey and experiences that brought her to the world of ecclesiastical tailoring.

12-21
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A Walking Tour of the Orthodox Church - Part 2

Kh. Krista continues her informative tour paying particular close attention to what the deacon and priest are wearing. Don't miss her perspective on the importance of the beauty of the fabric close to the end!

12-21
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A Walking Tour of the Orthodox Church - Part 1

Today we walk through the temple and learn about the fabrics, vestments and colors that we encounter. This is part 1 of our tour.

12-21
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The Power of the Cassock

In this episode Kh. Krista gives us some history on the use of the cassock and shares her opinion on how it should be used today.

12-21
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The Big Black Dress

Kh. Krista gives a helpful perspective on current cassock usage in the US and the modern history of clerical dress in America since the 1950s.

12-21
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In the Workshop Today

Kh. Krista takes us into her workshop where she is working on some unique and unusual cutting projects.

12-21
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Kontoglou on Byzantine Iconography

Today Kh. Krista reads a fascinating and instructive article from the Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies about Byzantine iconography compared to western art.

12-21
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The Honorable Workman

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." (Ecclesiastes 9:10) Today Kh. Krista celebrates the laborer who works with his or her hands in a day of automation and machinery.

12-20
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Great Unexpectations

So what do we do when life hands us something we weren't expecting?

06-19
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Parenting without a Paradigm

Kh Krista talks about the gifts and struggles of parenting if you haven't grown up with good role models.

03-03
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